Anna Crowley Redding is the author of the new young adult book Google It: A History of Google. She previously worked as a television investigative reporter and anchor.
Q: Why did you decide to write a history of Google?
A: The idea for this book was the brainchild of my amazing
editor, Holly West. When we first talked about the book idea, her enthusiasm
and insight was so magnetic and so smart. I jumped at the chance! Google’s
story is fascinating.
And I knew immediately that I wanted to approach the book
from a trip in a time machine to re-visit the hilarious state of affairs before
Google came into being!
Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything
that especially surprised you?
A: When I research, the first thing I do is read as much as
humanly possible on any topic. Books, articles, interviews, whatever I can get
my hands on. And then I pick up the phone and start calling people who touch
any part of a subject that requires a deeper understanding.
There were so many things that surprised me and fascinated
me about Google. One of the aspects of the research that I loved was talking to
people who used Google’s technology in a life-changing way.
Like the first driverless car passenger, a man who is
legally blind. To be able to get into a car and go wherever you need to is
something that I personally take for granted day in and day out.
After talking to Steve, whose story is featured in the book,
it was really touching to think about what that first car ride was like for him
and what driverless car technology offers to people who have not been able to
independently use a car to go to the grocery store, the park, a doctor’s
appointment, or the beach. That is very exciting.
Another story stood out, a teenager from Cameroon who taught
himself how to code. He hit the library to learn everything he could about
artificial intelligence, and then entered Google’s Code-In Challenge and won!
That’s despite a lack of regular access to the Internet.
So there is a pattern in these stories; they are the human
stories behind technology. And I love that!
Q: What do you hope your readers take away from the book?
A: My greatest hope is that readers will feel empowered.
Just because something doesn’t come easy, doesn’t mean you aren’t good at it.
There is a pervasive theme in Google’s story: fall in love
with the problem and not the solution. That, for me, was a life-changing lesson
from the book. It frees you up to shoot for the moon and fail over and over
again, because you are focused on solving the problem and not becoming super
attached to any one attempt to solve it. That’s fun.
I also hope that teens who read this will walk away
understanding that we are living in a time of enormous technological innovation
and we have to train ourselves to think critically and to be flexible. It’s an
exciting time to be alive.
The NSTA named Google It! a Best STEM book of 2019. That
just thrills me to no end because I know these teachers will make sure the book
and ultimately the book’s message will get right into the hands of their
students.
Q: What do you see looking ahead for Google?
A: Google (and parent company Alphabet) is such a dynamic
company, going in so many different directions. There are some big problems to
solve right now on the planet (and beyond) and Google is tackling a lot of
them.
With any tech company, when I look into the future, I think
about artificial intelligence. In some respects, Google has a natural advantage
because of search, which is basically a massive amount of data.
So what can massive amounts of search data, location data,
video data, etc., etc. mean for the development and practical application of
AI? That’s such an interesting question to think about.
One of the greatest challenges I think tech companies of all
kinds face today is how to step out of their bubble and take a look at their
various projects with fresh eyes and ask those tough questions about unintended
consequences of any particular advancement. It can be difficult to accomplish
this perspective, but is doable and important.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: 2019 is already a busy year! I am working on a biography
of Elon Musk! Talk about a dynamic and fascinating subject. The book, Elon
Musk: A Mission to Save the World, will hit bookstores on July 2, 2019 and
is available for pre-order now.
Like my book about Google, this book is a look at the man
behind Tesla, SpaceX and all of his other endeavors. Readers are going to love
getting to know Elon better and understanding his journey from his native South
Africa to California.
In addition to Elon’s story, I have a picture book coming
out in 2020 from HarperCollins. This tale centers on a long forgotten story of
heroism from the War of 1812.
Did you know we almost lost all the documents that built
this country? I mean the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution,
the Articles of Confederation, General George Washington’s journals, and more!
But one man, a lowly office clerk at the State Department
found the courage to lead an effort to saved them all! The book is called Rescuing
the Declaration of Independence and is illustrated by supertalent Edwin
Fotheringham, who I am still beside myself to be working with!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: More good news to be announced soon : )
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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